My Home Apartments Podium and Terrace

Project Overview

Scale: 52,000 sq ft across the podium level and individual tower terraces of a multi-tower residential development by My Home Constructions in Hyderabad.

The project scope included podium waterproofing below landscaped areas, terrace waterproofing on accessible flat roofs, and full expansion joint treatment across structural movement joints in the podium slab. The developer's specification required a system compatible with a planted terrace finish — which placed specific requirements on drainage board placement and root-barrier compatibility.

Victoria Waterproofing was appointed following a system specification review and site assessment. Method selected: SBR-modified cementitious membrane as the primary waterproofing layer, with drainage composite boards and filter fabric in landscape zones.

Handover: July 2024. First monsoon season completed with zero leak complaints.

Substrate Condition at Intake

The podium slab was freshly poured and in good condition, which allowed the waterproofing application to proceed without remediation of existing systems — a significant schedule advantage over re-waterproofing projects.

Pre-application survey identified 9 plumbing riser penetrations requiring collar treatment and 6 expansion joints requiring full flexible detailing. The developer's structural drawings were reviewed before application to confirm the location and spacing of all movement joints.

Method Selection Rationale

SBR-modified cementitious was specified for the waterproofing layer for its compatibility with the planted terrace finish. Bituminous membranes can be damaged by root penetration over time even with root barriers — cementitious systems are structurally harder and resist mechanical damage from landscaping works.

The drainage composite layer above the waterproofing membrane allows water to move freely to outlets without pooling on the membrane surface, which extends service life significantly in planted terrace applications.

Execution Highlights

The planted terrace zones required the most careful execution sequence. The cementitious membrane had to achieve full cure before drainage boards were placed, and each layer in the build-up — membrane, protection board, drainage composite, filter fabric, growing medium — was inspected and signed off before the next was applied.

Expansion joint treatment across the podium was executed with the full flexible detail: backing rod, polyurethane sealant, bond-breaker tape, and bridging membrane. Six joints in total, each treated as a critical scope item rather than a sealant fill.

Outlet coordination with the plumbing contractor was required at three locations where as-built pipe positions differed from the drawing. Site coordination resolved this before waterproofing reached those zones.

Post-Handover

The 5-year written warranty was issued at project completion, covering the full podium and terrace scope. The first monsoon was tracked with post-rain follow-up. Zero leak complaints received. The developer's site team confirmed the planted areas are draining correctly with no standing water reported.

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Site inspection and technical specification by Subhash Chander, Victoria Waterproofing.